


A moth drawn by the light

by cristallodineve



Series: How to save a life's universe [2]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-14
Updated: 2016-08-14
Packaged: 2018-08-08 18:39:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7768810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cristallodineve/pseuds/cristallodineve
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tao's memories of how he got into Chen and Xiumin's foster home and how he met the love of his life, Yi Fan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A moth drawn by the light

Tao rang the doorbell, slightly nervous. He never visited Yi Fan’s new apartment, and it felt a little weird, climbing the many stairs to get to the right floor. The building was new, clean and full of students and young couples, and Tao believed Yi Fan had a good neighbourhood.

He heard some stomping inside, before the room was smashed open. «You’re here!» Yi Fan panted. «I’m sorry, I woke up late and it’s still messy. I was cleaning the kitchen...»

«It’s okay» Tao reassured him, smiling. «It’s not like I’m an old aunt who came to visit or whatever.» His fiancée was at his best when just woken up, with his hair all dishevelled and his expression spaced out. He missed having him around at the foster home’s dorm.

«Right» Yi Fan replied, looking at him more closely. «Come in.»

Tao was introduced in a nice room with a small kitchen, a counter with just two stools, a fairly worn-out couch and a cabinet full of Yi Fan’s books. Across the room, he could spot Yi Fan’s bed, all messy, with the comforter partly fallen on the floor and his slippers scattered around. It was an oddly familiar view—Yi Fan would lose his slippers anywhere, at the dorm, and it made him feel at ease immediately.

Yi Fan rushed to the small stove, fumbling with a kettle and two mismatched cups. His attempts to behave like the perfect guest were rather embarrassing, but Tao thought he was cute. He sat on the couch while the taller boy was rummaging in a cabinet, looking for a tea strainer. «I like it sugar free, if you please, ma’am.»

«Don’t tease me» Yi Fan protested. «I’m trying to impress you.»

«You’re failing.»

«Don’t make me throw the kettle at you.»

«You’ll end up with a ugly boyfriend then.»

The taller one chuckled, carefully walking to him holding a cup. Tao took it from Yi Fan’s hand, taking a sip. The tea was bland and tasted terrible, but Tao wasn’t there for it.

«I like your house» he said.

«It still misses a few things, I think. For example, I still need to find a proper closet, since my clothes are all arranged in a suitcase since I moved here. I’m checking thrifty stores regularly, but I couldn’t find a suitable one yet.»

Tao met his eyes from above the edge of the cup. «You’re doing great» he stated. «Your house looks good... but you look better, actually.»

«Eww. Sappy.» But Yi Fan was already leaning towards him to peck at his temple. «But I like it, when you are so sweet.»

Tao looked around to see if there was a small table or something to put the cup onto, but then he just put it on the floor. Now he could finally hug Yi Fan tightly, as he had been wanting to since he stepped into the flat. «I missed you so much.»

«Really?» the other murmured, lips ghosting on the tender flesh below Tao’s ear. The younger boy shivered, relishing at the affectionate contact.

«Yes. Now that Yixing is in a relationship too, I’m the only odd one at the dorm. It feels strange, honestly.»

Yi Fan caressed his hair. «I’m sorry. I wish you could come here more often, really, but Chen and Xiumin might get into trouble, if the social assistants knew you were spending the nights away from the foster home.»

Tao nodded. «I know. Still, it’s kind of difficult, coping with this whole situation.»

Yi Fan and him were one year apart of age, and Tao turned seventeen just recently. This meant another full year to wait before turning legal and moving in with his boyfriend.

«Oh, I was almost forgetting» Yi Fan suddenly said, bolting from the couch to get something from inside the fridge. When he saw the plate of sweet rice cakes, Tao smiled broadly.

«Brings back memories, doesn’t it» he murmured, hiding his face in the crook of Yi Fan’s neck as he sat again. His scent was always so nice. «Do you remember when we met?»

«Yes» Yi Fan simply replied, staring at him in a way that never failed to make Tao sway.

 

\---oOo---Two years before---oOo---

Tao was sitting in an empty room. He was hunched forward in a weird, unbalanced position, because every breath felt painful. He leaned his head over the desk that was beneath, trying to relax. He was a tough boy, but this time the pig hit him too hard.

He was feeling his face with his fingertips, trying to understand the seriousness of the bruises on his forehead and cheekbones without a mirror, when the door suddenly opened, letting a man inside.

«Hello, student Huang. I’m here to introduce to you Mr Kim, in charge of the foster home you’ll be staying at in Korea. Greet him properly.»

The guy who spoke was the Chinese social assistant appointed to Tao’s case. Since Tao was technically still a minor, the social services immediately took care of him, and apparently, his situation had been judged serious enough to send him to a foster home abroad. As if that pig could come and chase after him. That stupid people did exactly what he wanted: the longest Tao was apart from him, the happiest he was. The irony in the whole thing was amusing, but for some reason Tao didn’t feel like laughing.

The social assistant looked at him, annoyed by his uninterested reaction. «I said greet him properly.»

«Don’t worry, Mr Kang» the Korean said, taking a step or two towards the sitting boy. «There’s no need to be formal.»

He bent down to meet Tao’s eyes. «Hello» he beamed, talking in a decent enough Mandarin, «I’m Jongdae. But you can call me Chen, as the other boys at the foster home nicknamed me.»

_Great,_ Tao thought. _Another idiot_. And he kept silent.

«I told you» the social assistant huffed. «He’s a stubborn one. His manners aren’t civil at all.»

The guy called Jongdae didn’t pay attention to him, and Tao finally took a little interest in him. His face was young-looking and peculiar, with prominent cheekbones and fair skin. The corners of his mouth were curled upwards, as if the man was wearing a perpetual smile on his face. Also, he was thin and not very tall, and sure he didn’t look like anyone Tao knew.

That Chen guy, though, kept staring at him in a way Tao found plainly unnerving. «Whaddya lookin’ at?» he blurted out, slumping in his suburbs’ dialect. Many people backed away and acted startled, when he looked at them like that.

Chen, though, didn’t seem scared. «Did you get any medical treatment for your wounds?»

Surprised, Tao shook his head. Nobody had bothered asking him, since he was taken at the social services’ office. His chest kept hurting like hell, but he didn’t trust those people.

«Please, can I have a first-aid kit?»

Kang looked at Chen as if he just asked a very difficult question. «What?»

«A first-aid kit» the Korean man gently repeated. «You know, plasters, disinfectant, bandages... oh, and a bag of ice, if it’s possible.»

Looking confused, Kang walked out of the room, and Tao watched him go, even more puzzled. He was sure nobody ever talked to him like Chen did.

«I’m going to touch your face a little» Chen warned him. Tao backed away when the man’s fingers ghosted over his chin, but the sudden movement made him hiss in pain. Shit, his chest hurt a lot, now. And the tangy flavour he could taste on his tongue wasn’t a good sign at all.

«Please, don’t move» Chen gently reproached him. «I promise I won’t hurt you.»

«What’s with all the “please” and “promise” stuff» Tao snarled, annoyed. «What are you, a woman?»

Chen chuckled. «Last time I checked, I wasn’t.»

Kang came back holding a box in his hands. He put it on the table, then he stood by the door, rigidly observing as Chen took care of Tao’s wounds. «I think this needs to be disinfected» the Korean man said. «Close your eyes.»

«Wait» Tao protested, «what do you think you’re...» His words were abruptly cut off when the gauze drenched in peroxide touched the bruise over his left eye. It stung.

«It might burn a little» Chen said, cleaning the dried blood on Tao’s forehead. One by one, the man meticulously took care of every scar on his face, disinfecting them thoroughly and sticking many plasters to his skin. The worst bruise was on Tao’s left cheekbone, which looked dark and painful at the touch, and Chen gave him a bag of ice to press over it to ease the swelling. Then, he asked Tao to lift his shirt, because he needed to see his torso.

The Chinese boy didn’t want to. Not under Kang’s staring eyes, and not after all that happened to him. Chen looked kind and understanding, but he didn’t trust him.

«No» he said, hoping his face could be intimidating enough, with all those plasters which, he was sure, made him look funny.

But Chen didn’t look impressed. «Judging from the way you keep hunching forward and wincing when you move, some ribs of yours might be broken. It could be dangerous for your internal organs, if you don’t get them treated.»

Tao heard someone snorting, and when he turned, he saw Kang snickering in a corner. He was laughing at the Korean man’s attempts to get Tao’s obedience, since he failed beforehand when he tried doing the same thing.

Tao looked at Chen. He was way shorter than him, and much younger than what he thought at the beginning. He still didn’t like him and his smiles, but Kang needed a lesson.

«I don’t want him to look» he said, pointing at Kang.

«Why?» Chen quietly asked.

«The way he stares makes me uneasy.»

A vein started pulsating on Kang’s forehead. «What did you say?»

«Mr Kang, I’m afraid I have to ask you to get out of here. I’ll be taking care of Tao from now on. Thank you for your help.»

Kang looked absolutely dumbfounded. «What?»

Chen just stared at him with a smile, until the man slowly turned on his heels and got out of the room, his expression still confused, as if he had been wondering what the fuck just happened to him.

«Now lift your shirt, please.»

Tao snorted. «As if.»

The Korean man looked at him, troubled by his sudden change of mind. «Why? You are obviously in pain.»

«I never let anyone lay his hands on me» Tao snarled, doing his best to shield his body with his crossed arms. The mere movement made him yelp, and he had to use all his willpower to keep from crying out loud. «And sure I won’t let you.»

Chen tried to make him reason. «We’ll have to get on a plane to reach Seoul» he warned him. «It will be dangerous, in your condition...»

«I feel wonderful.»

«Tao» Chen insisted, «there’s nobody to impress, here. You took a beating that could have killed a man twice of your age. I’m simply worried for your wellbeing.»

Tao suddenly realized something was off. Nobody ever called him by his first name, before. He had been called student Huang a lot, or other names that sometimes weren’t as kind as that. Many times he had been called a dickhead, or worse. And now, that little dude from Korea came to him and dared calling him by his first name, even asking him to get half naked in front of him.

The world was turning upside down, there wasn’t another explanation for that.

Chen waited patiently, knelt by his side, until Tao’s fingers finally began to fidget with the hem of his tee. The man had to help him taking it off, though, because Tao really couldn’t lift his arms properly. He was panting, while Chen’s fingers gently felt his ribcage. His tanned skin was streaked with nasty purple bruises.

«Does it hurt here?» the man asked, and Tao nodded, not trusting his own voice. The pig really trashed him this time, he thought, feeling his eyes swell with unshed tears.

He jumped, taken by surprise when Chen’s hand rose to stroke his hair, and he pushed it away angrily. He didn’t want to be pitied. He hated pity.

«I think it’s better if we go, now» Chen said, standing up after helping Tao put his shirt back on, «I don’t want to be late for the check-in.»

Tao was dead worried. He never flew before, and he was sure he heard somewhere that plane crashes’ rate was increasing in statistics. «Can’t we ride a car?» he asked.

«I don’t like flying as well» Chen told him, grabbing an old worn-out coat and a backpack, «but it’s the best solution. I want to stop at an hospital as soon as we land. I don’t trust Chinese hospitals, I want you to get treated in Korea.»

Tao was pissed off, while he picked up his only bag. «Really.»

«Yes, really. These guys left you here, bleeding and in pain for hours, while waiting for my arrival. I’m sorry, but I really can’t trust people who show no respect for an underage boy in need.»

Tao shook his head slowly. Nothing about Chen’s reasoning made sense, to him. That was just how things went normally. If someone was hurt and wasn’t terribly wounded, he could look after himself without bothering anyone, that was what he had been taught since he was still little. Never show your weakness, or the enemy will sense they have a chance to win over you...

«Please, Tao» Chen murmured, «don’t strain yourself. Lean on me. It will be easier to walk.»

There was no way, absolutely no way he was going to do what he was told, Tao thought. He didn’t need Chen’s help, because he could walk on his feet by himself.

When he tried standing, though, the pain was so horrible he almost fell, and so he had to accept half-heartedly to lean on Chen. They slowly crawled their way out of the social services’ office. Tao was glad, because it was full of children crying, women slumping around with empty eyes, disabled people that made him cringe just by looking at them and hateful burocrats like Kang. He was secretly happy to leave that hell behind, while he followed Chen.

The man called a taxi to get to the airport, and then made Tao sit on a chair while he settled tickets and other stuff. Tao watched the planes taking off from a huge window, trying to understand how so many people could trust a flying coffin like that. His chest was still hurting, and now all the plasters on his face began to feel bothersome as well. «At your... uh... foster home, how many guys are there?»

«Including you, six, for now» the man replied, helping him all the way through the metal detector’s inspection. «Three Koreans and two Chinese. I’m sure you’ll get along well.»

_Yeah, sure_. Tao didn’t believe Chen. He could barely understand Korean, and the thought of living in a foreign country was scary to him. Also, he didn’t like being unnecessarily close to people he didn’t know, and he really wasn’t suited for a foster home’s life.

«Hey, kid» Chen told him, while they sat on the plane, «no need to be this worried. It will be okay.»

«I’m not worried» Tao snarled back, furious because he let his nervousness show. But then the plane took off, and he sat unmoving, terrified, until it landed at Seoul.  

«Are we going there, now... at the foster home?» Tao asked, while Chen waved for a taxi right out of the airport. He was feeling really terrible. The pain kind of subsided, turning in just a dull soreness, but his head felt dizzy and his stomach was upset. His hands kept trembling, also, and he dropped his bag once or twice, so Chen had to help him.

«I’m taking you to the hospital first.»

Tao shook his head. «Told you I’m fine.» He coughed and wiped his lower lip, and when he checked his fingers, he noticed a faint trace of red on them.

Chen’s glance turned soft at his terror. «It won’t last long» he said, handing him a tissue and stroking Tao’s shoulder in a comforting way, «I promise.»

Tao barely heard him, too engrossed in his fear to listen.

The hospital trip passed in a blur, and Tao just lied on the bed, waiting for the results of the CAT scan to come out. They gave him painkillers and something to eat, but he didn’t feel like tasting it, because it looked weird and the smell was awful. Chen never left his side once, following him all along and translating for him when the doctors talked and Tao couldn’t understand. He thought his Korean was good enough, but he was terribly wrong, because he could barely grasp a word or two. The thought of having to live there was overwhelming, now.

«They said your ribs are just cracked and that there’s no real internal damage» Chen said, «so we can go home in a few hours. Are you happy?»

That was the moment when Tao started to cry really hard. The fear, the only slight relief, the residual pain, all came to him in that precise moment and crushed him like a powerful wave.

«Oh, no, don’t» the man comforted him, sitting on his bed to rub soothing circles on Tao’s back.

His hug felt nice, but Tao tried to disentangle himself nonetheless. «I said don’t touch me» he sobbed, but in the end he gave in, whining like a boy half of his age in that stranger’s warm arms. «I don’t want to get to the foster home.»

«I know you feel scared, now» Chen told him, parting to look straight into Tao’s eyes. «But I swear, you’ve nothing to fear from now on. Minseok and me will take care of you. You don’t have to worry about anything, from now on.»

«Minseok?» Tao repeated, savouring that stranger name on his lips.

«He’s a psychologist» Chen explained, «and he’s the one who runs the foster home along with me. The other guys often joke saying that I’m the father and he’s the mother of everyone.»

«Sounds exciting.»

Chen smiled. «At least you’re not crying anymore» he made him notice, ruffling his hair before standing and throwing Tao’s sweatshirt to him. «Get dressed. We’ll be leaving in a few minutes.»

Tao did as he was told, brooding. He still didn’t like it when Chen was overfriendly and kept touching him without permission, but hey.

It might depend on the medications he had been forced to gulp down, but he was starting to think that man was kinda cool.

\---oOo---

The foster home looked like a prison.

«Isn’t it nice?» Chen beamed, slamming the cab’s door behind Tao. The boy kept staring, unmoving, at the gray walls, the narrow windows covered with rusty grating. You could add a few crows on top, and it would be the perfect setting for an horror movie.

Chen beamed proudly while stepping on the threshold. Tao was tired and needed to sleep in a real bed, but he found himself wondering if he could still run away, in that moment. But the cab was still waiting in the street, and there were people passing by, and even a policeman walking on the opposite sidewalk. So he just watched, feeling screwed, while Chen rang the doorbell.

A small guy wearing an apron came to open. «Finally you’re here! Why did it take so long?»

«Let us in, Minseok» Chen smiled to him. «The boy is tired.»

«Sure, sure. Come in. I’ll make some tea for you both.»

Tao followed Chen inside, and he was relieved to notice that the place was clean and better than the outside. He saw a big rectangular table with many chairs around it, a big couch in front of a TV, and a shelf with boxed games, books and DVDs. The walls were painted in a yellowish white, the floor were covered in grey tiles which looked old and worn-out, but it was squeaky clean and Tao could even smell a faint trace of detergent lingering in the air.

The couch was occupied by two guys, who immediately stood when they noticed him staring at them. «Give that to me» one of them said, pointing at Tao’s bag, «I’ll bring it upstairs for you.»

Tao stared at him, terrified. He didn’t understand a single word of what the boy just told him.

«Your bag» the boy kept repeating. «B-a-g.»

In the end, Tao managed to grasp the meaning of the word, and he passed his small luggage to him. The boy beamed, stretching out his hand. «I’m Joonmyeon.»

«Zitao» Tao replied, shaking hands with that unknown. How could he live in a place where he couldn’t even understand what the fuck people was telling him? It was just plain crazy.

He looked around, unsure of what he was supposed to do. «You can sit here» a girl told him, making some room on the couch. Tao looked at her. She was rather cute, with short greyish blonde hair, but she wore a little too much makeup on her face for his liking. Also, she was wearing a thin tank top which revealed her flat chest. Tao liked girls with at least a slight hint of tits on them, honestly. Also, he believed that was a foster home for boys... didn’t Chen tell him something like that, earlier? Was she that Joonmyeon dude’s girlfriend?

«So... Zitao» the girl began, looking at him with dark chestnut eyes, «are you from China?»

«Yes» Tao replied, sweating slightly. She smelled good, damn it. Something was weird with her face, though, because it looked kind of androgynous, almost like...

Tao bent over slightly, watching the girl up close. She backed away a little, staring at him curiously. «What are you doing?»

«What’s your name?» Tao was suspicious.

«Your accent is really messed up, dude» the girl replied, her long lashes fluttering. «I can barely understand when you speak. It’s Baekhyun, anyways... Baekhyun.»

«Uh... isn’t it a boy’s name?»

«It is» the other replied, looking at him confusedly, «because I’m a boy.»

Tao kept blinking for a while, after that statement. «Good. Okay. Sorry, but you kind of look like a girl.»

«I’m taking it as a compliment.»

«Tea’s here» Chen announced, bringing two full cups.

«Yay, tea!» Baekhyun reached out for the hot cup, taking it into his hands. Tao noticed that his nails were painted pink.

And thinking that he used to complain about how shitty was his home. Now, he really wanted to go back.

He sipped at his tea, hoping nobody would notice that his eyes became teary again. «Who is he going to room with?» Baekhyun asked. «If you haven’t decided yet, I could kick out Chanyeol and his smelly socks anytime, really. I’d love to be Tao’s roommate!»

Tao shivered.

«Uh, no, we’ve already settled everything, Baekhyun, thanks» the guy called Minseok said, sitting on a pillow on the floor. «He’ll be Yi Fan’s roommate.»

«Aww» Baekhyun complained. «I really can’t get rid of Chanyeol no matter how hard I try, can I?»

«Who’s Yi Fan?» Tao asked, worried. The name sounded Chinese, which maybe was a good thing, but judging from what he saw of the boys at the foster home until that moment, he really didn’t know what to expect.

«He’s Chinese, just like you» Minseok replied. «Chen explained me you’re not very fluent with Korean, so we thought it would be better to make him room with you. Don’t worry though... you’ll learn fast, you’re young.»

Tao averted his gaze. He hoped that weird little man was right, otherwise it would have been very difficult, for him. He couldn’t even think of attending school. How was he supposed to understand anything?  

«You can go to bed, now, if you want» Chen gently told him. «Baekhyun will show you the way.»

«Yep» the boy bolted from the couch. «Follow me!»

Tao was blaming it on the painkillers, but he was really starting to feel weird. He never ever</i> felt smitten towards a male, before, but he found himself checking out Baekhyun’s ass more than once, while they were climbing a long staircase. His head was light and his knees wobbly, but he stubbornly refused the boy’s help to walk, because he smelled so nice he was afraid he could do something stupid. Also, he barely understood what he said, since his brain seemed to work at half of its usual rhythm, and his thoughts were taking weird directions.

«There we are» Baekhyun announced, picking up Tao’s bag from where Joonmyeon dropped it at the first floor. «This will be your room from now on.» And before Tao could stop him, he knocked loudly on the door. «Yi Fan! You have a guest!»

_Yi Fan_. Tao was pretty sure he already heard that name somewhere, even if he really couldn’t remember where. Damn painkillers.

The door opened, and a tall guy, even taller than him, looked at Tao behind a thick pair of glasses. «Uh... hello» he said in Chinese.

Baekhyun practically shoved Tao’s bag in the tall guy’s hands. «Good, Zitao, this is Yi Fan and Yi Fan, this is Zitao. I really need to do my skin routine right now. See you tomorrow at breakfast!»

The two Chinese boys watched as the Korean boy whopped away. «The others aren’t like him, right?» Tao asked, worried. «I might die.»

«Ah, no. Baekhyun is... err... unique.»

«Good.»

They awkwardly stared at each other for a moment, before Yi Fan let Tao in. The room was small and cramped up, but the bed looked comfy, and Tao let himself fall on it before remembering that his ribs were still cracked. «Ow» he complained, but he didn’t move an inch. The pillow smelled good, and he was dead tired. «I was so confused before. I can’t speak Korean.»

Yi Fan was still standing by the door, and Tao thought he looked like an idiot, tormenting his big hands like that. He squinted at him from under the pillow.  «Do you understand what I said?»

«Uh, yeah» Yi Fan smiled lightly. «It’s just that I wasn’t expecting your arrival so soon, I just...»

«Whatever. Where’s the bathroom?»

«Over there.»

Tao propped on his elbow to grab a few things from his bag. He didn’t bring much along, just a fresh change of clothes, his toothbrush, soap and a few other things. Cigarettes, also, but now that he looked at the contents of the backpack, he felt strangely dumfounded.

It looked half empty, just as his life.

He stood up, grimacing at the pain, and he crawled to the toilet. «Is there a towel?»

Yi Fan rushed to a closet, rummaging until he found a clean one. Tao took it from his hands, watching him suspiciously. He was tall and stuff, but really looked like an idiot. Still, he probably was older than him.

Tao got washed quickly, regretting that he couldn’t have a shower because of the medications on his face and chest. After washing his face, though, he felt decidedly better. When the time of changing into his pyjamas came, he turned his back to Yi Fan because he hated it when people stared at him. Still, in a hidden little corner of his mind a bell was ringing. He already saw that face somewhere, he was sure of it. Maybe the pig hit him on the head too and he lost his memory, who knew.

He slipped under the covers. It was still early, but he didn’t care.

«Goodnight» Yi Fan bad him in Chinese, and Tao mumbled the same to him, annoyed.

He was about to drift in a pitch black sleep when he suddenly remembered where he already saw that stupid face.

\---oOo---

Since he went to bed with the chickens, he woke up at dawn, and he spent the first hours in the morning turning into his new bed. Now that his mind was in a better condition, he knew why seeing Yi Fan made him uneasy at a first glance.

A few years before, when Tao was thirteen years old, he was a member of a gang called the Tigers. The Tigers were crushed by another gang, the most influent and dangerous one in the suburb, called the Snipers. At that time, the  Snipers were run by a boy only one or two years older than him, which went under the pseudonym Kris. He was considered the most ferocious thug in that area, and he was well known for his violent behaviour.  

Tao was sure Yi Fan and Kris were the same person. Nobody could forget that face and height. Also, he clearly remembered those big hands of his: he once saw him strangle one of his fellow Tigers, leaving the boy half-choked, his face purple. He was rooming with a dude who could kill a person bare-handed, he thought, sweating cold. He was sure those two idiots who run the foster home had no idea they were nursing a criminal under their roof, because Kris didn’t belong to a place like that.

Still...

That face of his. That shy expression. The Kris he knew would never show any weakness in front of his gang mates, and above all in front of an unknown like him.

What the fuck happened to Kris the Sniper, to turn him into a nerdy moron? Tao really had no idea, but he decided to tackle the problem without wasting time.

He fell asleep towards seven, and he woke up with a stifled groan when a loud alarm began to ring through the walls. «What the fuck is this? Where am I?»

«You’re at the foster home» Yi Fan quietly replied, already standing and with a towel hanging from his shoulder, «and it’s time to wake up and get ready.»

Tao was confused. «Ready for what?»

«Breakfast» Yi Fan sighed. «The others are like a bunch of starving animals. You don’t want to get the leftovers, believe me.»

Tao blinked, wondering what kind of people was in the foster home along with them. Did they know about Kris’ past? Were they okay with it? Maybe that girly boy Baekhyun was his bitch? He shuddered, trying to stand. He was feeling much better than the day before, but half of the plasters came out from his face, hanging awkwardly.

«Do you need help with that?» Yi Fan asked him, looking at him with those shy eyes. Tao refused, beginning to tug at the sticky remnants in front of the mirror. His left cheek was dark and green, but it didn’t swell like before. Also, his eyebrow looked pretty good, and he could open and close his eye perfectly, now.

«You got beaten» Yi Fan observed, in a neuter tone.

«My godfather tried to kill me» Tao curtly replied, «but I taught him a lesson.»

«Really?»

«Yes, really.» He turned, watching the tall one with a look of challenge. «Got a problem?»

«Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend. I was just thinking that you don’t look that happy, even if you somehow won the fight.»

Tao blinked, again. Kris was right, he thought. When he recalled the blood on his godfather – the pig –‘s face, or when he thought about the way he wailed when he responded at his punches, he didn’t feel jubilant as he would have liked to.

He felt miserable. And unfortunate. And lonely.

«It’s the language» he lied, trying to look cool. «I can’t speak Korean, I told you. Being here is hell.»

«You’ll learn fast» Yi Fan reassured him, smiling a little. «I had a hard time too, at the beginning, but the others, especially Baekhyun and Joonmyeon, were kind to me. Also, Chen and Xiumin took turns spending the nights to help me practise.»

Tao frowned. «Xiumin?»

«Minseok. This is how we call him.»

«Uh, I see.»

Tao hated nicknames. They were a childish thing, in his opinion. «Breakfast» he reminded to the other boy, and he nodded, leading him down the stairs. They entered the big common room of the day before, the one with the couch. Around the table, four boys were eating and chatting tranquilly. The food’s smell, for the first time, made Tao’s mouth water.

«Hello Tao!» Baekhyun shouted, waving at him. Tao cringed. He was wearing a male school uniform, but he tied his hair with a girlish ribbon and was wearing many colourful bangles which jingled and clinked every time he moved.

He looked around, nervous. Joonmyeon, the Korean of the night before, was there was well, along with a sleepy-eyed dude he didn’t know and another who was almost as tall as Yi Fan. His roommate took a seat next to Joonmyeon, and Tao had no choice but to sit beside Baekhyun.

«Did you sleep well?»

Tao anxiously hoped he got the question right. «Sort of. Pretty good.»

«Your face looks better as well» Baekhyun encouragingly added. «You look hot.»

Tao hoped he was joking. Thanks God, a bowl of hot porridge materialized in front of him, held by a smiling Minseok – or Xiumin, as the boys seemed to call him. «I’m happy to see you look in good shape» the man told him, but Tao didn’t quite grasp his words, because he was too busy tasting the food. It was awesome, and he was hungry.

Later, Chen drove the boys to school. They all attended the same one nearby, apparently. Yi Fan was stiff as a stick in his dark blue uniform, like some kind of class president or whatever. Tao was still puzzled about him, but he was pretty sure the boy didn’t recognize him. Actually, he wasn’t in the Tigers for long, and he wasn’t an important member, at that time. Probably Kris never even notice him, then.

«Tao» Xiumin called him, «would you help me with the dishes?»

Tao awkwardly followed the small guy to the kitchen. He never ever washed a single dish before, and he was uneasy, as Xiumin tossed the clean ones to him to dry. He was afraid he could drop and break something, but in the end everything went well. «How do you find the dorm? Did you settle up comfortably?»

«Kind of» Tao replied, «thanks.» He wasn’t used saying thank you, and he felt weird. Xiumin smiled, sensing his nervousness.

«Was Yi Fan nice to you?»

«Do you know him?»

Xiumin blinked at him. «What do you mean, if I know him?»

«He was the leader of a thugs’ gang called the Snipers...»

«Oh, that» Xiumin chuckled. «That’s not important.»

Tao was perplexed. Not important? How? «But...»

«What’s really important» Xiumin interrupted him, calm but also somewhat irritated, «is that Yi Fan here always behaved himself. He’s always helpful, kind and good-tempered. He’s a darling, and I don’t care about what he did before coming here. He changed, and I’m proud of him.»

Tao lowered his gaze, fighting the need to apologize. «Okay» he muttered, and Xiumin chuckled.

«I have a motto» he stated, «and this motto is “give everyone a chance”. Only one, and if they mess with it, they’re out. But really, what boys like Yi Fan need, sometimes, is just a little trust. Nobody ever trusted them, before, and when they feel finally loved and respected truly, they’ll give so much in exchange.»

Tao had no idea, really no idea why, but he felt like crying. «Uh-uh.»

Xiumin stood on his tiptoes to ruffle Tao’s hair, and the boy backed away. What was with those people and all that unnecessary and annoying touching?

But he had to admit it felt nice, somehow. A chance, uh? Well, this was going to be his chance to do something good in life.

Even if he had to share a room with Kris the Sniper.

\---oOo---

Days passed slowly, and Tao got gradually used to the foster home’s routine. He learned a lot of new, useful things. He learned a lot of Korean, much quicker than he would think, he learned how to do laundry, how to mop a floor, how to cut the grass in the lawn outside (the court was nice and big, and the boys, except Baekhyun, loved playing soccer or basketball there), also he liked petting the house dog, Pooch.

His wounds healed without leaving a trace behind, and his body got quickly accustomed to the good food and the physical exercise. His muscles felt tighter, and he was less scrawny. He looked more like a young man than a stray dog, honestly, and he liked it.

Also, he began to understand a thing or two about the foster home and its inhabitants. First of all, he didn’t find weird anymore that Xiumin and Chen were husband and husband (he was so shocked, at first, when Joonmyeon told him, that he kept forgetting the right Korean words to reply and he kept opening and closing his mouth like a fish), and he also kind of began to like them, for different reasons. Chen was more playful and easygoing, while Xiumin was gentler and more understanding. They acted towards the boys like a couple of real parents, and Tao truly felt pampered and cared for, when Xiumin served him an extra portion of beef, knowing that he loved it, or when Chen asked him to help with the garden or to go with him to do grocery shopping. Tao would have never told anyone, but he was beginning to think that staying at the foster home was the best thing that could happen to him.

The only flaw was Yi Fan. When he was around, his roommate was still clumsy, shy and embarrassed like the first day they met. At first Tao believed that Yi Fan was scared he could reveal everyone who he was in the past, but then he wasn’t so sure of it. He was dying to know what made Yi Fan change his mind. He couldn’t understand how a powerful gang leader would bury himself in Korea to turn into a nerdy wanker.

Then, one day Xiumin came to him. «I have a favour to ask you.»

Tao nodded, following him to the kitchen. The kitchen was Xiumin’s reign, since the man was a good cook and loved cooking, but also, it was the place where he put all his efforts and love in the meals he prepared for the boys. It was the place where his natural generosity showed the most, and Tao always felt calm when entering that small and steamy room.

«Another boy is coming here soon» Xiumin said, «and I think you know him. I found out you were neighbours when you were little, before he moved out with his family. His name’s Luhan.»

Tao frowned. «I remember him» he said. He was a small, doe-eyed cute child, and he enjoyed playing with him. «What happened to him?»

Xiumin shook his head. «No clue, really. Chen went to pick him up just like he did with you, but he called to say that’s he’s in a very serious condition. I think he tried starving himself or something like that. I thought that maybe seeing someone he knows would help him... this is why I need your help.»

«Okay» Tao replied, shrugging, then he forgot about the matter until one night Chen came back, guiding a wheelchair inside. Sitting on it, there was a boy all wrapped up in a blanket like an old man.

The boys, who were playing a card game in the common room, all stopped and stated at him, shocked. They never saw anything like that before, and Tao felt dying inside when he remembered the promise he made to Xiumin.

«How is he?» he asked Chen, after the man helped Xiumin lifting Luhan from the wheelchair and making him lie on a bed in one of the still empty rooms in the dorm.

The man looked at him, looking shaken. «Thank you for your help, Tao» he murmured. «I’ll be in the kitchen, if you need me. I’ll make tea.»

While entering the room, Tao stopped on the threshold, frozen. He remembered the Luhan from his childhood, but it was a little difficult recognize the boy who lied on the bed in front of him.

«Luhan, look» Xiumin gently encouraged him, «someone came to meet you. Do you remember Tao?»

«Hello, Luhan» Tao awkwardly greeted. The boy opened his eyes and looked at him, totally uninterested. Tao felt a tug at his heart, at that sight. «How are you feeling?»

Wrong question. Luhan kept staring at the ceiling, his mouth tightly closed.

«I can’t understand... what happened to him? Why isn’t he speaking?»

«We don’t know exactly» Xiumin murmured, and something in his tone made Tao turn his head to look at him. He never saw the kind psychologist act so helpless before. It was like he had no clue of what to do next. «When Chen went to pick him up, he was already like this. He never spoke once and he’s as weak as a kitten, but he won’t eat anything.» The man looked at him, hopeful. «I know I’m asking a lot... but can you please spend some time with him? I think he needs company and friendship. I’ll try to help him eat, meanwhile.»

Tao sat by the bed, stiff. Luhan looked terrible. His eyes were empty of any human feeling, and his face was so thin the skin was tight on his cheeks, letting the blue veins show underneath. His arms were thin like sticks, his hands all bones. It was slightly painful, looking at him.

«Uh... I think you’ll like it here» he began, unsure of what to say. Xiumin nodded to him with a faint smile, mixing some grated cheese in the porridge bowl he was holding. «The boys are nice. Xiumin and Chen are  nice. Do you still play soccer? There’s a big court outside. I’m the one who cuts the grass, you know.»

Luhan closed his eyes again. He looked more dead than alive. «Open your mouth, honey» Xiumin gently urged him, «you need to eat, or you’ll be very sick. Please.»

Luhan kept his lips closed. Horrified, Tao saw Xiumin’s eyes start to swell with tears.

He never saw a man cry, before. Only women, usually his mother, and only when she was very drunk.

«Luhan» he called, loud, and the boy opened his eyes, startled. «You need to eat and get better, because I want to play soccer with you. Got it?»

Luhan stared at him, showing a faint surprise, the first real reaction he had since he came into the foster home. Under Tao’s gaze, he opened his mouth a little, letting Xiumin feed him a spoonful of soft rice. He swallowed it with difficulty, and soon he started to be sick on his stomach, retching violently. Xiumin held him, murmuring soothing words while the boy started to tremble in his arms.  

Tao never saw anything like that. He felt nauseous because of the smell, but he didn’t have the heart to leave Xiumin and Luhan alone. Then, slowly, he understood it.

He hated seeing Xiumin in tears. He didn’t want to see him cry.

When Luhan calmed down and closed his eyes again, exhausted, Tao followed the psychologist outside. Xiumin waited for him to close the door, and then he started to sob. Tao stared at him, slowly gathering the courage before he finally reached out to pat the man’s shoulder.

«Oh God, I’m so sorry» Xiumin said. «I’m so unprofessional, am not I? But I swear, I’ve never seen anything so heart-wrenching. That poor boy...»

«Chen’s waiting for you in the kitchen» Tao told him, talking in a gentle voice he never used, «he’s made tea.»

Xiumin nodded, trying to smile in spite of the sadness. «Thank you for your help, really. It means a lot to me.»

_Yes, but will it be useful for Luhan?_

«Thank you.» He had no idea why he was saying it, really, but he knew it came from his heart. «Really. For everything.» _For accepting me here. For being kind to me. For trusting me._

Xiumin patted his arm gently before descending the stairs to join his husband. Tao went into his room, feeling his chest tight. He was thinking of Luhan, all alone in that dim room, suffering and unwilling to live.

Yi Fan was sitting at his desk doing some homework, and he immediately lifted his head when he saw him. «Are you okay?»

«No» Tao curtly replied, sitting on his bed. Tears started to fall, triggered by a weird mix of gratefulness, sadness and tiredness.

Slowly, Yi Fan approached him and carefully sat beside him on the mattress. «Tao» he whispered.

Tao wanted him to go away. But he also wanted him to reach out and hug him, because he was desperate for comfort.

He missed his mother. He still thought she was a bitch, but he missed her nonetheless. He missed his home. He missed his thug life, even if it didn’t make sense. He missed everything... but he was glad he was there.

It didn’t make any sense, really.

As it didn’t make any sense while he leaned his head over Yi Fan’s bony shoulder, crying his eyes out.

\---oOo---

Every day, Tao would come to sit beside Luhan’s bed, talking to him.  Or more like, doing monologues while the boy stared blankly into nothing. Still, some small improvements could be seen. After the first disastrous days, when Luhan was so sick he couldn’t assimilate any food and even went to the hospital for a few days, things kept getting slowly better.

Tao began to notice a glimpse of interest in Luhan’s eyes, when he came to visit him. Tao would help him drink, eat and also go to the bathroom in the first days, but now the boy was strong enough to do it by himself. He began to look like a handsome young man, finally, a very handsome one, Tao had to admit.

«Give yourself a little time and we’ll have all the girls at your feet at school» he joked, and Luhan would smile shyly. Tao thought he was sweet, and he ruffled his hair and pinched his cheek when he was like that. He was starting to consider him like the younger brother he never had.

Also, things kept improving with Yi Fan too. After the day Tao cried, the tall Chinese boy’s attitude somehow changed as well.

Things weren’t awkward between them anymore. It was as if someone lifted a curtain, and Tao could see him more clearly, now.

Yi Fan was shy and rather clumsy, but he was also something else. Kind. Understanding. And really, really determined to let his past behind. Tao admired him, because he thought that Yi Fan was really brave. Nobody could just let everything past his shoulders just by _wanting_ it. He was starting to think that Yi Fan was really a peculiar one.

Along with Luhan’s improvement, though, strange accidents kept happening. Chen and Xiumin would receive some weird phone calls, and Tao once noticed a couple guys staring at the foster home from the street with opera glasses. Then, once he witnessed Xiumin losing it, breaking down crying like a child when he served them a completely insipid soup.

Something weird was going on, definitely.

Then, one day, when he went down for breakfast, he noticed that everyone was miserable, and that the atmosphere was gloomy. «What happened?»

«Pooch died» Baekhyun replied, sniffing, and Chanyeol handed him a tissue without saying anything.

«Died? How?» Tao didn’t understand. Yi Fan and him played with the dog just the day before, and everything was normal with him. What the hell happened? Luhan, who just recently began to eat with everyone at the table, looked pale and shaken, and he still didn’t say a word. Everything began with his arrival at the foster home, Tao thought, slowly joining dots. Everything escalated way too quickly since he came there...

And then he focused on the main thing. Yi Fan. Yi Fan loved Pooch. He would always feed him the remnants of his dinner, or spending some time playing fetch with him. And Yi Fan was nowhere to be seen.

Tao’s guts clenched. He needed to find him, and he needed to do it immediately. Maybe Yi Fan needed him... maybe he was upset, or crying. For some reason, he really couldn’t stand the thought of him crying. He hated it, he really hated it.

He went to look for him in their room, but he wasn’t there. His school bag wasn’t at his usual place, so Tao figured out he walked his way to school. He asked Chen permission to go and look for him, and the man tiredly let him go. He looked exhausted, and Tao, while putting on his shoes, got a glimpse of Xiumin hugging his husband tightly, leaning his head on the crook of Chen’s shoulder. It was an intimate, loving gesture. Their bond was so strong, and Tao was a little envious of it.

God only knew why.

He spotted Yi Fan at the end of the street, waiting at the bust stop. He was standing, his back straightened up, his head slightly thrown backwards as if he was looking for something. He was so handsome Tao stopped breathing for a second or two. When did he start feeling like that towards Yi Fan? He couldn’t remember, and honestly it didn’t matter. Truth was that now he felt drawn to him, like a moth to the light. He started to run towards him, but then he noticed it.

Yi Fan wasn’t alone. He was talking to someone.

Tao hid behind a telephone box, squinting at his roommate. He was speaking to someone who totally looked like a thug, a dangerous-looking boy with dyed hair and a leather jacket. The two talked for a while, then the thug left, walking away, and Tao clearly saw the Snipers’ logo on his back, a Chinese character which meant “bite”.

Slowly, he approached Yi Fan, who looked so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t even notice the bus stopping by and leaving.

«Yi Fan» he began, tentatively, «are you okay?»

«Yes» he replied, softly. «That guy will take care of everything, now. The dudes who did it to Pooch will be taught a lesson.»

«Yi Fan» Tao repeated, scared by his expression. Yi Fan’s beautiful face was twisted in so much rage he could barely stand to look at it without grimacing.

It only lasted for a moment, though. When Yi Fan finally looked at him, Tao saw his tears, and all he could do was reaching out for him, enveloping him in a tight hug. He held him while he cried, just like he did for him before.

They walked to school together, because they missed the next bus as well. They got scolded and got a punishment, but they didn’t care. They spent the morning together, mopping the classroom’s floors, and it felt so nice that Tao suggested to arrive late on the following day as well, making Yi Fan laugh. His laughter was music, to him. He loved hearing him laugh.

They kissed for the first time by the blackboard while cleaning it. When Tao took his jacket off, that night, he found a lot of chalk stains.

And that night they didn’t sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello guys, it's been a while! Some Taoris before the main stuff ~~*cough*Baekyeol*cough*~~. I hope you'll like it! ^__^ 
> 
> As usual, English is not my native language, this is unbetaed, blah blah blah. I love comments and kudos though <3


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